The Legal Services Commission (LSC) has received just three bids to run its flagship community legal advice centres (CLACs) in Gateshead and Leicester, the Gazette has learned.


In Gateshead, the local law centre and Citizens Advice Bureau have lodged a joint bid for the proposed £2.6 million, three-year contract. The identity of the second bidder has not been confirmed, although A4e, a £75 million turnover private sector training business that holds a number of government contracts to provide advice to the unemployed and people in debt, is said to have seriously considered applying.



Meanwhile, in Leicester, the local law centre is thought to be the only bidder for the £3 million, three-year contract on offer.



CLACs are a key part of the LSC's new strategy for the Community Legal Service, which was unveiled in March this year. Up to 75 centres - located in deprived communities and jointly financed with local authorities - are planned in a bid to provide a more co-ordinated approach to social welfare law. Community legal advice networks are also planned for areas without a CLAC.



Last month, the LSC announced that Derby would be the location for its third centre. It has yet to say where the first network will be set up.



An LSC spokeswoman said it would not comment on the bids until the evaluation process is complete.



She added: 'A key foundation of making the Community Legal Service more client focused is encouraging better coordination between those delivering services. We would expect providers to join together to bid to deliver this broad-ranging CLAC service and would not necessarily expect a large number of bids.